Needle felting machine



I March 26, 1929. H MARBLE I 1,706,535

NEEDLE FELTING MACHINE Filed Jan 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Shet 1 Ian/67a JIM/{25s 8y Ma ne-y! a March 26, 1929. MARBLE 1,706,535

NEEDLE FELTING MACHINE File Jan 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1929- E. H. MARBLE 06,

NEEDLE FELTING MACHINE File J 31, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ewnz EJ163556 Ey M34 my:

' March 26, 1929. MARBLE 1,706,535

NEEDLE FELTING MACHI NE Filed J 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 61 H 59 61 (H U N k\ U 3y WW:

March 26, 1929. E MAIQBLE 1,706,535

NEEDLE FELTING MACHINE Filed Ja 51, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 terial and forced down-into the same-for the j Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

, v UNITED STATES EDWIN H." MARBLE, orwon'cnsrnn; MAssAoirusnrrs, ASSIGNOR T0 ouza'rrs' & iiAaBLEMAeiiINE COMPANY, or wononsrsn, MASSACHUSETTS, neon-reassures OF MASSACHUSETTS;

NEEDLE EELTIN'G, MACHINE.

application filed January 3 31927. Serial No. 1643691.

This invention relatesto that type of machines in which wool, hair or other fibres, formed into a bat,i are fed on a foundation of burlap, cotton cloth or other woven maproduction of felt In these machines, the foundation cloth and the bat ofwool, hair, or the like, are bothfed into the machine, a-

large number of barbedneedles-are'brought down on it repeatedly andthe hair is forced into'and through the woven cloth to form a permanent felt (which is used; inmany industries.

The principal objects of this inventionzare toprovide means whereby a compound or built up fabric, having a plurality of layers of bat, is capableofzbeing produced; to provide amachine in whiohithe same machine is capable of manufacturing a felt in a single bat and a-felt with three-or more layers of bat without reorganizing the machine, in other words, to operate onfelts offgreatly varying thicknesses; to provide a needle boardnot only with the usualvertical reciprocating motion, but withia periodic lateral vibrating motion forthe purpose of causing the different strokes-tointroducetheneedles into the fabric at different distances from its edge and produce the result ofstaggered penetrations of the needles; to provide a needle stripper which will bear on the bat with force so a'sto help keep it in acompact and. comparatively smooth mass, independ ently of its thickness; and whose position can be changed so that; it will bear on the bat with equal forceirrespectiveof different thicknesses; to pi'ovide means for operating. the above-mentioned"features in such away that the stripper rod frame comes in contact with the bat just before the needles start to penetrate it and theframei remains inithis position until the needles are with drawn, thus insuring the slight compression of the bat above referred'toand preventing the loosening up'of the hat by the needlesand any adherence of the bat fibres to the needles when the needles are witl'idrawn; toprovide mechanism for operating the. needles in such order that the periodic lateral motion com.-

mences assoon as the'needlesare withdrawn from the bat. thus avoidin an ossibilitvi g Y P of moving them when they woultlibe broken by. engagement: withmhebat to provide the intermittentmotion for fe ding. the" fabric for in section;

forward out of the machine so timed as to .move the fabric when the needlesare wellout of it and when. the stripper frame is out of its compressing position; and,.-in

general, to combine the several features above mentioned so as to increase the speed of the machine, produce a more efiiciently V interlaced felt, and permit of'themanufacture offelts much thicker in character thathose heretofore produced.

' Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be hadto-tlie lng drawings in which i Fig. 1 is an end View of a: machine con-.

accompanystru-cted in accordance withithis invention;

Fig. 2' is a front view Withparts in longitudinal section near the center of the machine; ,1

F 1g. 3 is an end view of themechanism for raising and lowering the needles and showing a part of the means for providing the lateral motion, on enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the stripper frame and its operating: means; J i

Fig. 5;is a rear view of the same;

Fig.- 6; is a plan. of one end oft-he stripper rod frame showing its relation totheother I parts; V

1g. 7 is a plan of part of the needle operating mechanism showing the guides there- Fig. 8 is a front. viewof the needle vibrat-' ing device on enlarged scale showing details of construction}.

Fig. 9 is aztransverse sectional-view, showing aidouble bat fabric in position with the strip-per rods resting thereonv and the needles up 1 in their highest position;

Fig; 10 isa similar view showing in dotted lines the highest positionof the stripperrodsgt q i Fig. 111s a plan of a small portion of the fabricproduoed showing the staggeredpeinetrations above mentioned and barbdd needles employed;

I have shown the invention as comprising Fi 12 is a magnified view, of one ofthe vided with means in the form of an eccentric 16-with an adjustable pivot stud 17 for operating a link 18. This oscillates an arm 19 centered on the cent r of a shaft 20 and provided with a spring pawl 21 for intermittently rotating a toothed wheel 22 which is fixed to the shaft 20. A holding pawl 23 is shown for an obvious purpose. On this shaft 20 is a feedlng out drum or roll 24 which .draws the fabric through and feeds it out of the machine. This drum is pressed upon by a pressure roller forced down by its weight and by springs 26' to insure that the fabric will be dischar ed as the shaft 20 is rotated intermittently. The pressure is adjusted by hand wheels 2'? at the twoends.

@n the shaft 20 is a pulley which drives a belt 29 and accordingly drives a pulley 30 on a parallel shaft 31. The latter shaft is provided with a roll 32 for receiving the fabric 11 and the bat 12 sothat they are fed straight through the machine in a horizontal direction. The amplitude and frequency of the vibrations of the arm 19 can be adjusted by the adjusting of the pin 17 by means of a screw as indicated. 7

@n each end of the shaft 15 there is an eccentric 35 having a strap 36 adjustably con nected with a stud 37 on a slide 38. The slides 38 move in guides 15 and support the needle frame 39 which is provided with a plurality of, series of fine barbed needles 40. The needles can be arranged in any desired way but, preferably, are arranged in'pairs of series as indicated in Fig. 9. These are mounteril in a block 41 which is held by the frame 3:39 in any of the'usual ways. ObvL ously these needles are brought down through the bat and fabric for the purpose of interlacing the fibres inand through the fabric as is well known in this art.

The frameBQ is not positively fixed to the slides 38. These slides have screws 12 extending verticall from them through slots 4-3 in the needle rame 39 and provided with washers covering the slots and permitting lateral vibration of the frame 39. complishing this latter purpose, the slide, 38 is provided with a link 46 at one end which is pivoted to an arm 47 on a shaft 53 carrying a ratchet wheel 52. On the wheel is van eccentric stud 48 entering a vertical slotratchet wheel 52 and turns it causing 459 on a bracket 50 carried by the frame 39. The movement up and down of the slide 38 causes he arm 17 to oscillate about its center. A pawl 51 thereon thus operates the and the shaft, the stud 48 to rotate intermittently through a. circle, as it is eccentrically mounted with respect to the stud This pro For acduecs a motion back and forth of the bracket 50 and consequently the whole frame 39,

the slots 48 allowing for this motion."

The result of this is that the pins 4-0 never penetrate the fabric on twosuccessive down ward motions at exactly the same distances from the edge of the fabric. The motion of these pins is a wavy one as indicated in Fig. 11. This provides for an additional irregu-' larity in the insertion of the pins and the penetration of the fibres into the fabric. This is desired to secure the penetration of the fibres in all portions of the fabric a d not leave any line across the fabric without fibres.

On the ends of the shaft 15 there are two cams 54 each of which operates on a roll 56 in a frame 55. This frame 55 is provided with a guide 56 which extends down into astationary bracket 57 on the frame 10. It is also provided with an exactly opposite rod 58 extending upwardly and adjustably connected with a stripper frame 59 which carries the stripper rods 60. This frame 59, moves up and down in vertical guides 61. The cam 54 is set of course in stationary position on the shaft 15 so that it operates in, definite sequence as the shaft rotates.

These parts are-so mounted or adjusted moves the fabric along in the machine a short step. This operation is repcatedon the fabric a plurality of times, while is passing through the machine. This fact, together with the staggered way in whicu the needles enter the fabric, as shown in Fig. 11,. results in a. practically uniform fabric without areas which have not been; supplied with fibres from the hat." The two" positions shown in 'Figs; 9 and 10 indicate some of the operations above indicated. The needles always come down between two of the rods GOand in spite of the motions which they make, it is always between the same two rods. The needles also projectv through the bottom of the fabric into spaces between the supports 65 carried by ti frame. I

starts g to move up and at that instant the aim 19 lit It will be understood that in theform moansner shown herein so that thebat L2will rest on the upper side. of thepiece-o-f-feltand the felt treated as if it were to be: only a one layer fabric; If-itis: to have another layer.- offabric 11;, that will be afterwards placed on this fabric and a. layer of bat above that and then this substance containing: two fabrics. and:' three. bats will. again ass throughithe machine.. In thisoase. it will be noted that the: stripper rods are operated in. the same way and. the only adir justment that has to be made. is by. the lengthening or shorteningof the connecting rods 58. I Itv will: be seen that by this machine the timing of the parts is done sothat the needlescannot become entangled in the bat and broken by lateral movement therein; that the stripper rods frame is permitted to serve as a compressor frame. with different thicknesses of: fabricand bat; that the needlesinore easily penetrate the bat because itisheld down by'theaid. of the pressure of the stripper rods; and that the batis not loosened, as the stripper-rods are'still held firmly against. thebatw'hile the needlesare withdrawn. This prevents .adherence of. fibrestio the needleszduringthis motion. The vibratory motion is provided. because. with heavier andfthioken bats it is particularly desirable that theheed-lesshalhnot. penetrate in lines parallel to the selvage. .As the ac tiontof the cam which controlsxthe lateral motion, of the needle frame is'controlled by the upward motion thereofgthene is. noposs sibility of: the needles.- being.- IDOVGdI when they-arestiILin-thebat; 'llhe stripper frame is moved up out of its compressing: position also :beforethe fabricis movedalong by'the feedi mechanism; The combination. of'these three movementshas permitted the increase of the speed. of the; machine and. at the same time a firmer. and more efficient interlaced fabricisproducedv than by any of. the pre viousmethodsf I v Although I, have illustrated and: described only asingleform; of the: invention; I am aware of the fact'that modifications:can.be made therein: by, any person, skilled in. the art without departing fromithe scope-ofthe inventionaseiqiresseddirthe cla'imsg Therefore I donot wish to be limited to the details of construction, herein: shown, and de scribed,but whatI'j do claimis 1. In a machine for;- introducing fibres in? I to a fabric forthel purpose of. felting it, the

desired ,.a stripper frame comprising a series of rods for engaging the top of the bat, and

means for holding 1e stripper frame down on the bat and. retaining it under pressure until theneedles are withdrawn.

. 3;.111 a felting machine, the combination with means for supporting a fabric and bat ofv fibres, of astripper frame comprising a series of'parallel rods, means for holding said rods against the bat to compress the same, means for introducing a series of barbed. needles through the bat'a-nd fabric while the rodsare in position to compress the bat and for withdrawing the needles freely, means for then shifting the needles as a whole-sideways slightly, and means for thereafter raising the stripping rodstorelease the fabric.- 1

4. In a felting machine, the combination of means for supporting a fabric and bat of' fibres, of a stripper frame comprising a. series of rods'extending in a parallel direction across the machine, means for holding'saidmods'against the bat to compress the same, means for introducing series of barbed. needles through the-bat .andi fabric while the holding, means is in: position to press the rodsagainst the bat and'ifor with.-

drawing the needles freely, and means for.

then automatically shifting the needles as a whole side-Ways relatively to the rods while the needles are elevated;v v 7 5. Ina feltingv machine, the combination with support over which the fabric and bat are adapted to travel, of a shaft, a. pair ofCslides at tlieopposite sidesof the machine,

. means connecting the shaft with the slides for; raising and loweringthem, a. needle frame supported. by. said slldes, and means for intermittently movingthe needle frame thereon in a. plane at right angles to the direction of: motion of theslides only when the'needleframe is in raised position.

6. In a: felting machine, the combination ofia. main shaft, a pair of slides at the oppo sitesides ofv the machine, means connecting the main shaft with. the slides for raising and" lowerihgthem, a. needle, frame supported said slides, but movable thereon in a plane'at right: angles to. the direction of motion of the slides, and means for moving "the needle frame in said plane by a step-bystep motion only'atia'tiine when the needlesv are raised; out of the fabric.-

V 7. Ii1= a felting machine,,the combination with, means'for supporting thefabric and hat, a main. shaft, eccentrics on the opposite ends of said shaft, adjustable rods extending from said eccentrics, and a pair of at opposite ends by said slides, and means for obtaining an interrupted transverse motion in a horizontal plane thereon only at a time when the needles are raised out of the fabric. I

8. In a felting machine, the combination with means for supporting. the fabric and bat, of a main shaft, eccentrics on said. shaft, adjustable rods, extending upwardly from said eccentrics,'a pair o slides connected with said roc s to be raised and lowered thereby, a needle frame supported at opposite ends on said slides, and means whereby when the slides are raised, but not otherwise, the needle frame will be shifted side-ways.

9. In a felting machine, the combination With means for supporting the fabric and bat, of a pair of slides at the sides of the machine, a needle frame carried-by the slides to move up and down with them, capable of motion transversely with respect to the feed of the felt, and means whereby when the. slides are ra1sed to remove the needles from 'wheel through a short are every time the needle frame is raised, whereby the position of the frame will be shifted.

11. In a felting machine, the combination with a support: over which the fabric and bat are adapted to travel, of a main shaft, a pair of slides at the opposite sides of the machine, means connecting the main shaft with the slides for raising and lowering them, a needle,

frame supported by said slides, but movable thereon in a plane at right angles to the direction of motion'of the slides, a stripping frame comprising a series of parallel rods extending across the machine between which the different series of needles are adapted to enter the fabric, and a cam on said shaft connected with said frame to. bring the rods down on the fabric before the needles are in serted and to raise them after the needles are withdrawn.

12. In a felting machine, the combination with a support for the fabric and bat, and

means for introducing a series of barbed needles into the batand fabricperiodically, of a stripper frame comprising a series of rods adapted to rest on the bat, vertical guides for said frame, means for adjusting the frame, and a vertically guided device for ralsmg and lowering said frame in prep ersequence to cause the stripper rods to press down on the fabric just before the needles lowering said frame in proper sequence to cause the stripper rods to press down on the fabric just before the needles are-introduced and to be raised therefrom after the needles are Withdrawn, an. intermittent feeding de vice for feeding the felted fabric out of the machine, and means for operating the feeding device to advance. the fabric when the stripper frame is raised to release the fabric from its pressure.

14:. In a felting machine, the combination with means for supporting a fabricandbat of fibres, of a stripper frame comprising a series of rods, means for positively holding said rodsagainstthe bat, means for introducing a series of barbed needles through the batand fabric while the rods are positively held in position against the bat, means for thereafter raising the stripping rods to release the fabric, a feeding device for intermittently' feeding the fabric from and throughthe machine, and means for actuating said feeding device after the stripping rodshave been raised from the fabric.

15. In a felting machine, the combination with means-for supporting a fabric and bat of fibres, of a stripper frame comprising a series of rods extending inra parallel direction across the machine, means for holding said rods against the bat to compress the same, means for introducing a series of barbed needles throughthe bat "and fabric while the rods are-in position to compress the bat, means" for. withdrawing the needles, means for i shifting the needles as a whole sideways,'means for thereafter raising the stripping rods to release the fabric, a feed ing device for intermittently feeding the fabric to and through the machine, and means for actuating said feeding device after the stripping rods have been raised to r'eleas the fabric from their pressure.

16. In a felting machine, the combination with means for supporting a fabric and a bat of fibres thereon, ofa'setof felting needles adapted to be projected through the bat and fabric for the purpose desired, means for moving the needles up and down, a stripper frame for engaging the top of the bat, and means for moving the stripper frame down on thebat arranged to operate positively in ion a definite relationship to the motion of the of rods for engaging the top of the bat and needles before the needles enter the bet. "means, for holding. the stripper vframe down 17. In a needling machine, the comhinaon the bat and retaining itunder pressure 10 tion with means for supporting a bat of until the needles are Withdrawn. 5 fibres thereon, ofa set of needles adapted to In testimony whereof I have hereunto afbe projected through the bat for the purpose fixed my signature. desired,'a stripper frame comprising a series r I v EDWIN H. MARBLE. 

